Contained
by The Countess of Monte Cristo
Summary: Can a fractured partnership be mended by a traitor's life risking gamble? Will the result make them enemies...or friends?
1. Part 1

_A/N So, I'm going back to the very beginning of their relationship with this one. If you want to see what happened before this read my story Second Meetings and then be on the lookout for its upcoming sequel Second Chances. So, I took a few days off of my daily one-shots to bring you a completed three-shot. You're welcome. Lol. I'm taking the weekend off of one-shots to finish my longer story, but I will still post the latest chapter of Second Meetings on Sunday. This piece has been hovering around in the back of my mind for a while, and it explains a lot of how Hiei came to forgive Kurama and my suspicion that it was Kurama that bargained to Koenma for both their freedoms. I have read the lovely works _Define Mercy, Partners and Friends, _and _Partners_ by Blossomwitch, DragonDancer5150, and Tawnya Kisaragi respectively and felt the need to throw my hat into the ring of Kurama recuing Hiei from Reikai prison. It's really amazing how so many different people can come to the same conclusion independently._

"You know, Kurama, if I didn't know better I'd say you weren't really a demon," the brightly ferry-girl happily prattled, bouncing bubblingly down the halls of the Reikai palace with a less than overjoyed redhead in her wake.

"I don't know whether to be flattered or insulted by that…" Kurama sighed as they passed through corridor after corridor in the impressive if a bit ominous palace. It was dreary to say the least. Whoever had designed the place clearly had a taste for the dark and grotesque. The high, vaulted ceilings were arched and painted a deep crimson accented by shades of ebony, giving the overall effect of walking down a seemingly endless throat. The floors were polished and gleaming, reflecting a distorted mirror-like world with fragmented images that coincided inversely with reality. Dark walls seemed to enclose upon the figures walking between them, even though there was quite a copious amount of space between them.

All around them ogres bandied about, carrying large stacks of important documents, carelessly leaving trails of paper in their wake. Whenever one came within touching distance of the kitsune, they would promptly gasp, dropping several more papers, and scurry away so fast they appeared to be nothing more than multicolored blurs. Clearly, Koenma was privy to his true identity and hadn't kept a firm enough leash on his lips. It wasn't certain that all the ogres knew exactly who he was, but they all must know that he was the thief behind the current break-in, for that was the only explanation for such ill-concealed fear. It got far out of hand when one unfortunate ogre actually bumped into the fox as he sped by, sending a particularly large stack of files skittering across the floor as well as his considerably bulky body. When Kurama bent down to offer a hand to the ogre, he literally shrieked in terror, tearing off in the opposite direction, folders forgotten.

Kurama watched the swiftly retreating back of the frightened creature with indignation. "Really, what's wrong with them?"

Botan had watched the scene with interest. Her empty, blue head had obviously not given her any notions about alleviating the tension between the palace oni and the guest demon. "Oh, they're just nervous. You're probably the first demon they've ever seen, and they don't know how to react."

Kurama looked at the flighty ferry-girl with mingled interest and surprise. "First?" He inquired curiously.

Botan nodded absently as she turned and continued to lead him towards Koenma's office. "Yes, most demons are dealt with by King Enma and his assistants swiftly and efficiently without the need to bring them into the palace."

"You mean they are swiftly and efficiently _executed_," Kurama corrected darkly, his eyes going cold and hard as they met the slightly anxious violet one's over the reaper's shoulder.

"Yes, well, um…that is no…they…well, they always…deserved…" she stammered out uneasily but was stopped by a raised hand and a shake of a head.

"That's enough. Just tell me why Koenma has asked for me," he was careful to make this a demand not a request.

She wrung her hands as she turned around, eyes darting about the magnificently eerie hall. "Well, I'm supposed to let him explain…"

Mindful of her discomfort, he posed a different question. "I was let off on parole over five months ago; this doesn't have anything to do with the terms of said parole changing, does it?" He asked shrewdly, sharp eyes watching the unusually spooked shinigami for any reaction to his words.

He caught the slightest widening of her eyes and the almost inaudible intake of breath. "Lord Koenma will be able to inform you himself in a few moments if you will follow me…"

With a small incline of his head, judging that it was unwise to press further and risk her letting slip something she ought not have and landing her in trouble because of it, they continued their long trek through the endless foyer.

Eventually they came to a set of doors, more like extravagant gates, separating the passageway from an overly crowded office area. Cubical lined the walls, spreading in a disorganized latticework of mismatched desks. Oni of all sizes and hues shuffled around the room, like displaced ants from a toppled anthill. A veritable pallet of florescent colors swirled around the fox as he tried very hard to maintain his personal space in light of the recent invasion of obnoxiously colored ogres. The whole operation screamed overbearing bureaucracy, and Kurama cared little for it. He had ever approved of the methods by which Spirit World was governed, but then, what did the opinion of a lowly demon matter to the Underworld king?

Botan and Kurama successfully navigated the sea of flustered oni and loosed papers until they reached the final barrier to the young prince of Reikai.

"I've brought, Kurama, sir," Botan announced cheerfully into the electronic communication devise on the door.

The sound of static greeted her words followed by a muffled "Bring him in," as the doors swung opened to admit them.

At first, Kurama felt dim amusement at the appropriateness of the color scheme in the toddler prince's personal office. He had a fleeting impression of a child's nursery upon scrutinizing the interior of the small space. The walls were a soft green, seafoam to be exact, and the floor was a light powder blue. Periwinkle accentuated the border between the two, and the overall effect was significantly different from that of the corridors outside the office. Where the latter commanded exaltation through intimidation, the former invited comfort through soothing.

The office was exceptionally sparse with nothing in the way of furniture save a desk and a chair behind and before it. The chair before the desk was clearly a new addition, brought in should the godling have visitors, and it looked hideously out of place in its plainness. The only other fixture was a large screen the prince most likely used to spy on the living world.

The infantile prince himself sat comfortably in his overstuffed armchair, sizing up the redhead as he entered. While his body was that of a toddler, there was an intelligence and an arrogance in his amber eyes that spoke of the numerous centuries he had lived. He was dressed regally in grand robes of blue and red silk. He wore a large, puffy royal blue hat embroidered with a large black "Jr." His ever-present baby blue pacifier was clenched between his teeth as he appraised the demon that stood tall before him.

Kurama bowed formally once he stood directly before the small prince. It was a sweeping, elegant gesture, imbued with all his considerable natural grace. The Rekai lord smiled at the gesture and motioned for him to straighten up with a wave of his tiny hand.

"My, how you do impress. I had thought that Yusuke was out of his mind to so readily trust you, but I know now what he saw in you. Botan, you may leave us now." He turned to his assistant as he said the last, indicating that she take her leave of him.

She bowed to him, and it was a much clumsier gesture than Kurama's own. "Yes, sir." Koenma watched her retreating back until it passed behind the doors as they closed behind her. Koenma turned his attention back to the demon in front of him and motioned for him to have a seat.

"Please, take a seat; make yourself comfortable. There's no need to look so wary, Kurama," the young lord beckoned, sitting straighter in his chair.

Kurama obeyed, sinking hesitantly into the less opulent chair opposite the prince. While he radiated the outward appearance of one completely at ease, he was anything but. He curled himself into the chair, crossing his legs and folding his hands on top of a prompted up knee. He cocked his head to the side in silent inquiry.

"Why have you requested my presence, Lord Koenma?" He chose to stick to polite difference when dealing with Enma Jr. Despite any pretenses, the young lord had him under his thumb. Were it not for his interference, Kurama would be at the mercy of Enma Sr…and he was not known for his mercy.

Koenma made a show of shuffling the stacks of paper on his desk, riffling through them and selecting one folder in particular. He placed it on his desk with delicacy, tapping it with an extended finger.

"It has recently come to my attention that a gang of demons is making the nuisance of themselves…"

Kurama listened in silence. He did not know where the Rekai lord was going with this.

"Are you familiar with the Four Saint Beasts?"

He started at this unexpected question. There were few demons alive that remained ignorant of the infamous exploits of the Saint Beasts. They were a legendary band of demons that collectively accumulated the largest bounty Spirit Word had ever offered. They were chased out of Human Realm by hunters many centuries before. They built a fortress city around themselves and were locked away with a powerful Kekai barrier. Their threat diminished; they were forgotten.

However, even fewer knew Kurama's history with the beasts. In their early days of seclusion, many bandits and bounty hunters stole into their domain in an effort to rob them, or rid them of their lives and claim the reward. Kurama had been one such treasure hunter. The beasts had accumulated quite the fortune in their years of exiled hoarding. Such tempting wealth had not failed to pique the master thief's interest and lure him into their lair. The venture had been his most resounding failure. Due to certain circumstances beyond his control, his second in command had lost all of their men to the innumerable traps, and the two of them had been forced to retreat without the spoils.

"I do not understand. I know for a fact that these demons cannot do any harm to this world or Human World due to the powerful barrier that currently imprisons them in their stronghold…" Kurama explained slowly, considering each word carefully before speaking it aloud.

Koenma shifted in his chair, straightening his hat and fidgeting with the corner of the file. "Well, therein lies the problem. They're demanding that the barrier that contains them be torn down…"

"And I take it they have some threat that they are using to blackmail you into doing so?" Kurama asked shrewdly, cocking an elegantly sculpted, red eyebrow.

Koenma nodded solemnly. "Indeed. They are threatening to unleash a wave of Makai insects on the Human Word using a special whistle to control them should we refuse to raze the barrier. We can either give in to their demands or suffer a plague of chaos and mass-murder."

"Both options are unacceptable," Kurama said dryly. He had an idea what the young lord was driving at now.

"I need to send in Spirit World operatives to infiltrate their city and destroy that whistle. It is my intention to send Yusuke once he completes his training, but Yusuke alone doesn't stand a shadow of a chance against four powerful demons…"

"I agree, Yusuke is unusually powerful for a mere human, but even then him taking on four demons is a stretch," Kurama acquiesced. Truth be told, if Koenma thought to send Kurama with Yusuke, he doubted they would fare much better…

"That's why I wish to amend the conditions of your parole. As it stands your parole is indefinite. Should you render assistance to my detective on select missions, I will have your sentence changed to time served. It's rather fortunate that we have you, really. You've proved you are quite skilled by retrieving those artifacts, and you have proved your loyalty to Yusuke. It shouldn't be a problem for you to infiltrate the enemies' keep and retrieve the whistle." Koenma explained all this carefully, making it sound as if it was merely a request, and the fate of the Human World did not hang in the balance.

So, he had been correct in his assumption. Koenma aimed to send his only detective and a demon he barely knew or trusted to destroy four deadly demons and save the whole of the earth. This would be tantamount to suicide. They needed help, and Kurama knew just how to kill two birds with one stone…or save two lives with one gamble.

"Is it not a risky venture, Lord Koenma, to send one human and one demon to fight four hardened apparitions?"

"Yusuke will, no doubt, be accompanied by a fellow human friend with unusual strength and who is gifted with a powerful sixth sense," he further explained with a wave of an errant hand as if he could dispel Kurama's doubts with a simple placating gesture.

"The odds are still not stacked in our favor: three against four…" Kurama was careful to keep his voice casual, light, and empty of implications or inflections.

"What do you have in mind?" The petite prince asked guardedly, eyeing the kitsune with suspicion.

"Why not even the odds? I'll need a partner, preferably a demon partner…" Kurama kept his tone flat and devoid of emotion. He would have to play the prince very carefully to getwhat he wanted.

Koenma pondered his words for a few patience straining moments, mulling over the wisdom of his request and stacking it against the risks of bringing another fighter into the fold, especially a demon with questionable loyalties. Eventually, he relented, "Understandable. Do you have any demons friendly to Reikai in mind?"

"Only one…who's loyalty can be traced solely to me," Kurama answered honestly. The lord would never believe for a minute that the demon he had in mind would be loyal to Reikai by any stretch of the imagination.

Koenma's eyes narrowed at this hedging. He probably considered a demon loyal to Kurama and not to him a liability…and he would be correct, but it would be the best he would get. He bit out roughly, "Who?"

"Hiei…"

"Absolutely not," he replied immediately as soon as the name passed Kurama's lips, his dismissal swift and his voice hard.

"It will even the odds, sir. Four against four. He is a master swordsman and the only demon I will trust to guard my back in battle. Just give him a chance. He may prove himself to be less of a villain than you believe," Kurama resolved with conviction. He said this in earnest, passionately. "May I remind you that the harm he caused with the Shadow Sword was very minimal…?"

"The only demon you trust at your back? May prove himself to be less of a villain than I believe? _Minimal _harm?" He repeated incredulously, shaking his head fervently. "Have you forgotten that he swore to _murder _you!"

Kurama let out a long suffering sigh. "That was in the heat of the moment when my perceived betrayal was fresh on his mind. He was also still under the influence of the Shadow Sword at the time. He's been given more than enough time to clear his head and calm down."

"More like he's been given enough time to stew in his anger and plot the most grueling torture he can imagine for the one responsible for his incarceration! Look, I don't trust that demon as far as I could throw him, and I couldn't even get close enough to pick him up; he'd burn me to a crisp first!" Koenma yelled, pacifier miraculously managing to stay in his wildly flapping mouth.

"That is why I must see him free, Lord Koenma. I am responsible for his fate." This time he switched tactics, playing to the youngling's sense of sympathy and fairness.

"Even if I agree to this nonsense proposition of yours, he never will! He'll never willingly work for me," he insisted stubbornly.

"Let me convince him," Kurama suggested evenly, silky persuasion in his lilting voice, as he leaned back in his chair to study the young god's reaction.

"That's suicide…" Koenma growled, leaning forward in his own chair to better study the red haired fox before him. What he saw in front of him was a man desperate to aid a fellow comrade. His eyes were hard but glittering with a fierce determination. Those eyes held the promise to never be deterred from the course they had set. His body was rigid, tense, and he had unconsciously clawed the arms of his chair in a hard grip. Koenma had to listen intently to catch his next words.

"I do not believe he will kill me…yet," he mumbled in pained lament.

Koenma nodded. "Indeed, he'll likely wait until you were on a mission then stab you in the back. All the more reason for me to refuse."

"No, Hiei's word is his bond; he'd never go back on it. Once he's sworn his allegiance to someone, he is loyal to them until death …" _Unlike I am._

Koenma cocked his head to the side and surveyed the demon with renewed interest. "You know him that well?"

"Yes, I'd even go so far as to vouch for him if need be," Kurama replied with steely confidence, a glint in his emerald eyes.

The youthful lord blinked at the redhead several times, now fully intrigued by the enigmatic figure before his eyes. "You sound rather fond of him." He said this with unrestrained wonder.

Kurama thought about his partner and perhaps even at one time friend. Yes, he was rather fond of the prickly, petite youkai. He was abrasive and blunt, but he could also be surprisingly compassionate and considerate. He was a fierce warrior and an honorable swordsman. They had instantly shared a strong bond from the moment they met.

"I am," he answered simply, but those words were powerful enough to convey what he felt.

"What is this demon to you?" Koenma asked, curious despite himself. He hadn't known demons to form any kind of relationship besides those made for convenience and to gain power.

He said without hesitation, "A friend."

The prince blinked in open shock, mouth agape. Demons most certainly did not make friends.

"Friend?" He asked stupidly. The fox had said as much already.

"Indeed."

"One you betrayed without hesitation…" Koenma pointed out relentlessly.

"I'm an evil demon, or so your realm would have us believe…" Kurama let the bitterness he felt at this bleed into his voice, lacing it with hostile venom.

The Underworld price shivered in fear at that cold tone. While the delicate and fragile appearing redhead before him looked as if he couldn't hurt a fly, Koenma knew he was a demon and a warrior to boot. A dangerous killer lied in wait beneath his colorful, placid sheep façade.

"This isn't about you being a demon…" And it truly wasn't. When he wasn't in cold eyes and hard voice someone-will-die-soon-and-it-most-certainly-won't-be-me mode, the one he was in currently, it was quite easy to forget altogether that he even was a demon.

"Then don't assume I did this to him without hesitation," he said with a soft undercurrent of anger in his curt reply, hidden behind his calm and civil demeanor.

"Then why do it? Why cross a friend? Why save Yusuke? Why try to free him after you helped arrest him?" He could not stem the flow of queries that broke loose from the dam of his lips. This demon was truly an enigma.

Kurama took a deep breath and leveled a serious glare at the baby prince across from him. He continued to stare him down as he spoke. "As to the first two questions, I did it because I perceived his actions as wrong. You, like me, must have realized that that sword was having a malicious influence over his actions. I did what had to be done. In answer to the third question, the boy saved my life. I was merely repaying a debt; there was nothing noble about it. Now, for your last question, I am trying to correct a wrong I committed in betraying a friend for the greater good. Repaying a friend…is that so hard for you to understand, Koenma?" He dropped the formal honorific purposefully. The pretenses had been dropped. Kurama now laid his trump card on the table. Koenma could either call or fold. "If you want me, you'll have to accept him, too. It is a package deal or nothing."

He had delivered his ultimatum. Koenma, who had been busy trying not to flinch during his speech, promptly did just that at his last sentence, spoken with such unwavering finality as it reached his tiny ears. It's funny, really, Koenma thought he was doing the thief some great favor when really he was being manipulated the whole time. But he had to know the answer to one final question before he made his decision.

"Why are you really doing this? He tried to murder you." Kitsune were known tricksters. Surely his motivations could not be so noble…

"Would you believe my motivations if I told you?" He spoke softly, his words heavy with some secret emotion as he bowed his head and a curtain of voluminous red hair obscured his face. Without being able to read his expression, it was hard to identify what that emotion was. Annoyance flashed across his baby face as the demon answered the question with one of his own. Trying to get straight answers from the tight lipped fox was like pulling teeth tweezers.

"We'll only know if you do."

"Guilt." Kurama raised his head in order to accurately gauge the kami's reaction. He saw understanding flit across his features to be replaced with his professional mask.

The petite prince had seen true remorse in his face and honest sincerity. He could tell the demon before him rarely showed such raw emotions. He relented. "You can try to persuade him; just know that if he agrees, the hardship has only just begun. You will be holding his leash, Kurama, responsible for all his actions. Take care that he doesn't bite you."

As the young price watched the red head retreat, he hoped he'd have the uncanny ability to influence the small demon…for his sake.


	2. Part 2

_Drip_

Darkness. So utter and complete it was oppressive. The blackness laid heavy and thick over the eyes like a blindfold, eclipsing any hint of illumination. The calignosity was so impenetrable it seemed tangible. It was everywhere, stifling and suffocating, invading every pore in the body.

_Drip_

The cold, clammy hands of death chilled the air. The dungeon was dank, thick with lingering moisture and biting frigidity. With the combined feeling of icy stone beneath him and the damp air above him, he was enveloped by a cloud of freezing wetness. Given his unique nature, this had a particularly strong effect on the fire demon.

_Drip_

And that smell. The smell of mold, fear, and death clung to the air, cascading over the prone form in waves of acidic odor. It was simultaneously bitter and sweet. The terror reeked of putrid sour sweat even as the sickly sweet smell of rot mingled with that stench.

_Drip_

That sound. The only sound that was constant in this vile hole. The occasional wail would pierce the monotony of the relentless leaking water, but they were few and far between. The inhabitance of this prison lost their ability and will to cry out all too soon.

_Drip_

More numbing than the physical cold was the deep sense of cold dread and icy hopelessness that pervaded his entire being. He would die here, slowly but surely. It was inevitable: the price he paid for his heinous crimes.

_Drip_

His swirling thoughts turned darker than the Cimmerian atmosphere as they settled upon how he had come to be in this dismal place. Betrayed. He had been ruthlessly deceived by his first and only partner. The image of the smirking redhead flinging his crimson blood into the Jagan eye was forever seared into his memory. Burning rage filled him, scalding his veins as liquid anger coursed through his body, temporarily chasing away icy despair.

_Drip_

He had been trying to summon his ki for as long as he had been here. It seemed there were powerful wards around his cell to prevent just that. If there weren't, he'd have burnt this wretched place to a cinder by now. He entertained a fleeting fantasy of a fiery escape, reveling in the crispy, charred corpses of his captors. But these lofty dreams would never come to fruition. All that was left for him was the harsh reality of an agonizingly cold and pathetic existence until he slowly rotted away.

_Drip_

This painful emptiness and bitterness threatened to drag him into the wonderfully freeing oblivion of insanity. If he only gave in, lost himself, he would feel no more. It was a seductively tempting prospect. His entire existence had been fraught with nothing but agony and misery. To give himself over and embrace the nothingness of mania would free him from the chains of his bleak existence. He had nothing left to live for now. Why not allow insanity to claim him, leaving nothing but an empty husk to slowly decay and die, withering away in the blackness of his cell?

_Drip_

Yes, he would give in to it. Surrender himself fully to the oblivion of madness and know no more…

_Hiei_

A soft, sweet, lilting alto with such a melodious quality pierced the fog of his fitful meditations instead of the customary dripping of stale water. Even through the haze of his near madness, that voice sounded so familiar…

* * *

Kurama felt sick at the sorry sight that was his friend.

He had traveled to this dank, dark dungeon with an escort of oni guards. He had known the Rekai prisons were notorious for their deteriorating condition but hearing of it and witnessing it for oneself are two vastly different concepts.

He felt a stabbing pain in his chest at the thought of someone he cared for being trapped here…because of him. The guilt was crushing his heart, but he forced himself to feel the full weight of it.

The screams of the inmates echoed around him, bouncing off the walls and following them down the cavernous, labyrinthine dungeon. Deeper and deeper they walked into this cesspool of torture and agony, this pit of despair.

When they'd reached Hiei's cell, Kurama could feel his heart breaking. He'd looked down on the pitiful, petite form of the demon. Kurama had to struggle to make out his silhouette, scarce as the light was here. Were it not for his keen fox-like senses he would not have been able to discern anything at all.

He could see that Hiei was curled up in a tight ball with his back to the bars, making his small frame appear even more childlike, more innocent. The sight tore mercilessly at his already broken heart.

Kurama knelt as near to the prone figure as the bars would allow, gripping them and whispering the demons name. When he received no response, he grew worried. Spirit World prided themselves on their ability to make demons go mad.

"Let me in there," Kurama demanded of one of the guards. Said guard promptly blanched and jerkily shook his head.

"I-I ca—can't do that…" he stammered out, eyeing the fox with trepidation.

"It wasn't a request," Kurama snapped dangerously, rising to his feet with a predator's grace. "You will let me in there." He loped smoothly closer to the guard, confidence in his lithe form and imperious stride. He narrowed his eyes at him, eliciting a flinch and a jittery nod. He fumbled with the keys, making them jangle noisily in the claustrophobically narrow space.

Once he found the correct key it took him several more moments to steady his hand enough to keep it from shaking so he could fit it in the lock. With an impatient snarl, Kurama seized the key with his deft thief's hands and inserted it into the lock. Upon opening the door, it was promptly closed behind him, and the guards scampered away. He frowned but didn't comment. Clearly they feared the little fire demon, but Kurama knew he would be let out again…and if he got his way so, too, would Hiei.

Kurama approached the supine form. He carefully crouched beside him, placing a light hand on his shoulder and gently turning him on his back to face him. What he saw did not give comfort.

An icy wave of panic threatened to drown him as he peered into glassy, unfocused red eyes. Hiei had clearly chosen to completely shut down in lieu of suffering more pain. By cutting himself off from the world he could hide from the pain. It was clear the little Imiko would struggle to remain unresponsive to any and all attempts to rouse him from his self induced coma. Kurama brought his hand up to touch Hiei's cheek tenderly. This empty shell was not his once friend and partner.

"Come back, Hiei."

* * *

Roses. The sweet aroma of these fresh flowers wafted to his nostrils, revitalizing him. It was a divine smell, pure and pacifying as the first rain after an eternity of drought. It was refreshing, not overbearing, yet sill powerfully invigorating. As the rose's perfume permeated his being he began to feel energized.

_Come back, Hiei._

Again the dulcet, musical voice called to him. It was such a pleasant sound, warm and enchanting. It spoke lyrically, like a lullaby, comforting him. But behind the words a meaning was slowly forming within his sluggish mind. It was a rhapsodic plea for someone to return. That name…that name was so familiar to him, as familiar as the musical voice that spoke it.

With all of his remaining strength, he willed his eyes to focus on the figure leaning over him. A shock of red was all he could distinguish at first. Slowly the image coalesced into that of the all too familiar and far less welcome Kurama. His deep, forest green eyes locked with his, wide with unconcealed concern and relief at spying recognition behind the fiery red ones.

"Hiei, I—" that was as far as the kitsune got before he was roughly grabbed by the throat, effectively cutting off his words, and violently slammed into the cell wall. His head made a sickening crunch as it collided against the firm, stone. He let out a gasp of pain and went limp, pupils dilating before heavy lids drooped down, veiling them as he blacked out.

Hiei growled at the unconscious fox. He wasn't getting away that easily. One hand still firmly around his throat, not squeezing merely holding, he brought his other hand up and swiftly slapped the comatose demon with all the force he could muster.

Kurama's eyes immediately fluttered open, but took a few moments to focus, stars clearly dancing in his blurry vision. A bright red handprint marred his otherwise flawless, milky complexion. He gazed blearily down at the shorter demon once he had gathered his wits. Hiei had somehow managed to tower over the significantly taller statured redhead in his fury.

"Hiei, please, list—" Hiei squeezed the slender throat warningly, abruptly stifling the pleading.

"Shut up, traitor," Hiei spat, squeezing tighter, meaning to cause black spots to form in Kurama's vision.

Gasping for breath, Kurama manage to whisper out breathlessly despite, the strong chokehold, "I…don't expect you to…forgive me…kill me if you must…but…there's…something…you…should…"

The energy expended to speak through the crushing grip in which Hiei held his windpipe, combined with the lack of precious oxygen, was lulling him back into unconsciousness.

Hiei slackened his grip by mere millimeters and shook the fox. This motion had the simultaneous affect of keeping him conscious and making his head swim. He blinked several times and trained his dull eyes on the ones staring murderously at him.

Hiei had no desire to hear the fox grovel, but when he said that he would allow himself to be murdered, he was intrigued. If the fox wasn't trying to save himself, what had he to say to his executioner?

"Fine, say your last words," He spat through clenched teeth, maintaining his firm grip around the thin throat with enough pressure for him to feel threatened but not enough to constrict airflow.

Kurama had an attack of body racking coughs before he managed to sputter in between hacking fits, "I came here to release you."

The meaning of those words took several minutes to process. When he was finally certain he had not misheard, he snorted in derision.

"What in the name of the Makai are you prattling about, you fool?" He said in disgust, successfully masking the doubts he had upon hearing the sincerity in those sputtered words.

Kurama let honesty burn in his passionate emerald eyes. "I am the one who lead you here, so I will lead you out…"

"I don't need help from a traitor! I made that mistake once, I'd be as big a fool as you to do so again," he yelled, hand clenching convulsively around the slim neck. Kurama choked, small, pained noises tore from his throat as gasped, desperately struggling to inhale.

Hiei was no fool. With these wards containing his power, Kurama could have easily overpowered him by now and escaped the hold after the initial blackout. He had been taken by surprise at first, that was why Hiei had thought he didn't try to break free. But as he continued to let the virtually powerless demon strangle him to death, Hiei had his proof that the fox meant what he had said about letting Hiei kill him.

Slowly the demon withdrew his hand, releasing his hold on the fox. With a deep, shuddering breath and a renewed wave of coughs, he slumped to the floor, hand reflexively going to his throat, massaging the blood into re-circulation.

Hiei felt a sour sense of satisfaction as he saw dark blackish bruises begin to blossom on the creamy flesh of Kurama's pale, slender neck. The demon blinked down at the kitsune, staring at him until he met his eyes again.

"I meant to kill you just now," he said coolly with no hint of remorse.

Kurama made no effort to pick himself up as he spoke simply with raw honesty, "And I meant to let you."

"Why?"

"You shall have to be more specific with your question," Kurama answered, voice hoarse.

"Why would you have just let me kill you like that? You and I both know you could easily defeat me as I am. Why did you betray me? Why come here after all you've done? Why try to help me escape?" He exploded. He had intended to ask only one question, but as he started more pour from his mouth against his will. All the questions he had been obsessing over since the fox's treachery escaped his lips all at once, working into a frenzy of inquiries. "Why bother?" He finished somewhat lamely with his most desperate question of all.

Kurama sighed. "That's quite a list of why's. How about I start at why I betrayed you?" When Hiei gave no answer or comment upon his skipping of his first question, Kurama took it as a sign of acquiescence and continued. "I owed that detective my life. It would have been a poor way to repay the boy if I had let him be killed."

"I'm to believe you risked your life to settle a debt?" Hiei inquired dubiously, scrutinizing the fox with utmost disdain. His very voice dripped with animosity and suspicion.

"I do not like to be in the debt of others, so I choose to settle them immediately and on my own terms before the person to which I am obliged is able to dictate the terms of its fulfillment, but…I'd be lying if I said I did not have an ulterior motive also…" He averted his eyes as he said the last.

"Well, what was it? I want the whole truth or I'll begin to squeeze the life out of you again," Hiei demanded venomously.

He could see a smile being forcibly fought down before the fox answered. "I knew at the time that you were under the influence of the Shadow Sword…" Before Hiei could protest his being controlled by an inanimate object, Kurama continued, "…and therefore not thinking clearly. If you had killed the detective more powerful hunters would come, hunters that would not hesitate to dispatch you. No demon has survived the hunters save for me, and my case was unique. Killing humans is a crime that merits instant death for any demon foolish enough to break their golden rule. I knew if the detective remained living that the damage you had done would remain minimal and that you might be able to be let off with a light sentence."

"I'm to believe you planned that far in advance and that this was all for my sake?" He grumbled doubtfully, raising an ebony eyebrow at the demonic fox. He was unable to contest much of his little speech, but at least that bit he could.

Kurama heaved another long suffering sigh. "I do nothing without fully anticipating the outcome, and I just said I also did it to settle a debt, so it clearly was not_ all_ for your sake. While I'm sure that you will believe what you will, none of that matters. What matters is that I can get you out of here."

Hiei snorted and turned his back on the figure leaning against the wall.

"Shall I answer your next question?" He asked lightly as if he were some teacher in a Ningen school, teaching a rather dense student some complex theory that he just couldn't grasp.

Hiei's only answer was a noncommittal grunt.

"I've come here now to help you out of a sense of duty and guilt. I'm here to right a wrong I have done by you."

"Again, why do you think I need your help!" He growled, feral, as he turned back to the now smug fox.

Kurama made an impatient sweeping gesture that encompassed the entirety of the small cell. "The fact that you are here suggests that you need all the help you can get. But if it galls you to accept my aid then think of it only as a way to assuage my guilt at landing you here."

"I don't give a damn about your _feelings_!" He shouted.

Kurama's smug expression turned into one of sadness. "But I care about yours." That statement gave the small youkai pause. "You feel hurt and betrayed, and I want to ease the anger I know you feel towards me by helping you now."

"How dare you presume to know how I feel!" Hiei demanded, his rage flaring unreasonably.

"Forgive me. I meant no disrespect. Let me move on to your last question."

Hiei took several deep breaths in an effort to calm himself and nodded curtly for him to continue. The fox clearly wasn't going anywhere until he had had his say.

"I believe you're worth it."

That simple statement said with so much conviction brought all his walls crashing down. His whole life he had been looked down upon, stepped on, used. He was told over and over again that he was worthless until it was a constant mantra resounding in his head. To have someone say otherwise, and with such unwavering conviction no less, was so shocking, he couldn't process it.

"Worth?" He breathed.

"Worth a second chance," Kurama elaborated with a gentle smile.

Hiei digested his words with detachment. They sounded like they were coming from far away and that they were intended for someone other than him.

"You didn't address my initial question…" he finally whispered after what could have been minutes or hours of silent contemplation.

Kurama blinked in surprise, but Hiei could not tell whether or not it was feigned. "Oh?"

"Why let me kill you?"

Kurama cocked his head to the side and studied the little Koorime before him. "I would have thought that were obvious, Hiei. You are my friend, and what better way to die than in retribution by the hand of a friend I have so grievously wronged?"

His eyes widened at this unexpected answer then, as he recovered from his initial shock, they narrowed. He practically shrieked, "How dare you call me a friend after all you have done! Do you customarily betray your so-called friends and lead them to their ultimate doom?"

Hiei was puzzled as he saw Kurama's face darken, a black shadow hanging behind his eyes, turning them lifeless and dull: haunted. He was completely devoid of all emotion as he spoke tonelessly, "It is a cruel tendency of mine, yes."

This answer completely threw the small demon. He stared in wide eyed…_fear_ at the ruthless figure before him. Throughout his entire life, he had never felt terror inspired by another being. Kurama was truly a force of nature: treacherous as the sky, clear and bright one moment and a torrential tempest the next. He was one fighter he hoped he never had to face.

Ignoring the mounting storm clouds swirling around the fox he gave the only response he could if Kurama had meant his previous words about being his friend. "I don't have any friends. They are a weakness that I cannot afford."

He had said this emotionlessly, mechanically, masking the feelings of wistfulness Kurama's words evoked. He had never had a friend because he was forbidden. No one chose to call the Forbidden Child of the Koorime "friend." He was undeserving of such a distinction.

Kurama looked slightly crestfallen at this, the whirlwind of his dark thoughts and emotions abating capriciously, but he quickly masked his hopelessness with a nod. Hiei felt a twinge of regret for his harsh words. "Of course, I was clearly mistaken then. Regardless, I have enjoyed the companionship you have extended to me these past years."

It was Hiei's turn to sigh at the clearly veiled affronted tone. "Well, assuming I'm willing to accept your help, how do you plan to assist my escape?"

Kurama smiled in triumph at this small concession. "I have made a bargain with King Enma Jr. for both our conditional freedoms," he said, managing somehow to be both simultaneously succinct and vague.

"Conditional?" Hiei asked, getting the distinct impression he was being manipulated by the tricky fox.

Kurama inhaled slowly, clearly steeling himself for Hiei's reaction to his next words. "We have both been granted parole on the condition that we use that freedom to perform community service for the Spirit Realm."

Hiei was fast losing his patience with the decidedly tight lipped fox. He bit out in frustration, "What type of 'community service?'"

"We will be assisting the Spirit Detective in his missions," Kurama replied swiftly with the air of one wishing to get the pain of their words over with as quickly as possible.

"Hell no!" He riled, rounding on the fox.

"Hiei, it is swallow your pride and accept or remain foolish and rot in prison forever," he pointed out reasonably with a hint of heat in his tone.

Hiei, however, was beyond all logic. "I'd rather rot than become a traitor to my own kind."

Kurama shook his head sadly. "I'd rather you didn't."

The complete and open candor with which he said this penetrated his fog of mindless denial. Still, he had reservations.

"All I want to do is kill that damned child!"

"He spared you. He didn't have to do that, you know. Listen to me, Hiei. He is different from most humans. He has no prejudices against demons, and I find it is quite refreshing. I find him to be kind and compassionate if a bit rough around the edges and stubborn…like another person I know."

"Do not compare me with a sniveling human whelp!" He replied, indignant at the perceived insult.

"A whelp that defeated you…" Kurama teased lightly. He was the only person in all three words who dared mock the Imiko.

Hiei snarled savagely. "That was a fluke, and you know it. Had it not been for you _meddling_ he would have fallen effortlessly."

"While I disagree that it would not have been effortless for the child has great potential, I do not doubt that you would have eventually defeated him. However, he is not as weak as he was before. He is currently training as the renowned psychic Genkai's apprentice. He will be quite formidable when he has completed that apprenticeship. What better way to answer the question of who is stronger once and for all than to spar him after that and test it for yourself? The only opportunity you will get to do this is if you agree to Koenma's terms…" _You tricky fox._ He was playing Hiei's pride against him as well as his lust for battle. Though he knew the game the fox was playing, he could not help but play straight into his hands.

"Knowing you, you'd interfere then as well."

Kurama laughed easily at this, knowing he had won at long last. He stated cheerfully, "Only if you planned on using a seemingly harmless rematch as a guise to take your revenge and kill him."

"You're insufferable," Hiei groused. Had he not been Hiei he would have pouted at the kill-joy before him. As it was, Hiei did not pout nor would he give the smug fox any more satisfaction today than he had already gleaned from him.

"Well, you had better build up a tolerance, because you are about to suffer quite a bit of me in the near future," he responded playfully, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. While Hiei hadn't forgotten the betrayal or forgiven it, he was beginning to. The fox was very suave when he wanted to be, and it was hard to resent the charming redhead.

Hiei grumbled under his breath but did not correct the kitsune so Kurama naturally took it as Hiei's way of grudgingly agreeing to the terms of their parole.

"Guards!" Kurama called imperiously, though he still remained seated on the floor.

Said guards immediately ran into the room, clearly thinking that the fox had been attacked. They seemed put-out upon discovering the companionable scene the two of them made.

"He has agreed to Lord Koenma's terms. Now release him." Hiei snorted at the term lord, but was impressed more with the natural commanding tone Kurama used. He was clearly used to giving orders. When the guards looked reluctant, Kurama continued in a voice of deadly calm that held the promise of agony to anyone who should fail to comply. Clearly, he was used to his orders being followed, also. "He's a _fire_ apparition trapped in a cold, damp space. Get. Him. Out. _Now_!

Hiei balked at the thoughtfulness that was implicit in those words. Hiei could even fool himself into believing that he cared for the fire demon's wellbeing.

The guards subsequently rushed over, swayed more by the threatening, deep voice than the fact he'd stated. Hiei swept out of the cell as soon as the door opened with astounding celerity, a black blur even to the sharpest of eyes. His abrupt flight made one of the guards yelp in terror and the other flinch in surprise. Hiei smirked with satisfaction at their reactions.

As Kurama tried to get up swiftly to follow, he swayed on the spot. Hiei knew something was wrong with the fox and cursed himself for not having the common courtesy to help him to stand. Kurama was grace personified; his every move down to the smallest gesture was carefully controlled and casually elegant. This stumbling meant he was grievously injured.

Kurama reached a hand to his scalp, coming away with blood. He stared wide eyed at his long fingers stained red with crimson fluid, for several long moments. Hiei eyes flicked to the wall behind the fox, and he noticed for the first time the faint, thin line of blood staining the wall that he had been leaning on, leaving a streak of almost indistinguishable crimson on the dark stone. The wall itself was so close to the color of blood it had previously camouflaged it from view as well as the lack of light helping to mask it.

"Oh…" Kurama whispered in surprise, seconds before the concussion took its toll, and his eyes rolled back in his head as he crumpled to the ground. Hiei rushed to his side and caught him before he collapsed to the floor.


	3. Part 3

Kurama first became aware of the stabbing pain lancing through his skull with deft, precision strikes. He could tell the headache had its origins at the back of his head judging from the tenderness there, but the pain encompassed his entire skull.

He cracked open an eye then immediately closed it tightly shut with a groan. Light assaulted him, intensifying the agony currently piercing his brain.

Then a wave of nausea overwhelmed him as he sat up, making him double over then promptly fall heavily back down into the downy, padded substance on which he lie.

"Rise and shine," came a high pitched voice filled with mingled amusement and concern. Kurama turned his head in the direction of the voice and squinted, shutting out as much light as humanly, or demonly, possible and still have his eyes technically be defined as 'open.'

"Koenma?" he greeted uncertainly. It was hard to make out his childlike form with his eyes slanted almost closed. The indistinguishable mass of royal blue was enough to confirm that the deity before him was indeed the young Reikai prince.

"I told you, Kurama…" His voice was smug, and Kurama could almost hear the smirk in his tone. Clearly he took Kurama's injuries as Hiei's adamant and violent refusal.

Kurama looked past the prince to the dark figure that suddenly caught his eye, one that sat across the room, leaning against the far wall. The black form appeared to be asleep, its shoulders slumped and head bowed.

"He's been here the whole time you've been unconscious. We tried to get him back in his cell after he attacked you, but he insisted he remain by your side. As the guards were too afraid to approach him now that he as free of the wards, no one attempted to force him to go," he explained after following the redhead's gaze.

"Hiei agreed," Kurama breathed, returning his stare to the kami.

Koenma look flustered and indignant, "What? And he attacked you still?"

"That's Hiei for you…" Kurama half-chuckled, half-sighed.

Koenma left soon after that, stating he needed to take care of some paperwork and legally change their status to 'paroled with community service obligations.' He retreated with an awkwardly muttered "get well." Kurama closed his eyes again after that, resolving to rest and aid the Reikai healers helping him to recover with his own energy.

* * *

When he next awoke, it was to find sharp, crimson eyes staring down at him. Hiei leaned over the prone fox and traced his fingertips lightly over the fresh bruises that had turned a magnificent shade of sickly green mixed with pale yellow when he saw the fox was awake. His touch tickled slightly, but Kurama remained still. As Hiei fingered them he spoke very softly, "I'm sorry for these…"

"Well, between the skewering, the concussion, and the bruises, I'd say we are even," he joked mildly, gracing the fire apparition with a warm if weary smile.

"Hn," Hiei replied, biting down an answering smile of his own, twisting it into a smirk.

Kurama tried to sit up, only to be forced down by rough, sword-calloused hands. He grimaced but let the hands on his shoulder push him back down.

"Kurama…I was wondering…how is…your mother?" He looked embarrassed by this question and refused to meet Kurama's eyes as he said it.

He frowned in confusion at the demon's sincere curiosity, his brow wrinkled in contemplation. Then seeing honest concern in the Imiko's expression, all suspicions vanished. Just as quickly as the frown was donned, it melted into a warm smile.

"She's doing well," Kurama replied brightly. _Thanks to Yusuke_, he added silently.

"It was foolish of you to attempt to give our life for hers, but… I applaud your nobility and am glad she came out the better for it," Hiei mumbled awkwardly.

He looked up curiously at the demon upon this unexpected reply, but chose not to press him. Naturally, he was surprised when the small demon continued without being prompted.

"My mother…she died before I got the chance to meet her," he admitted very quietly, red gaze burning a hole in the ground beneath him.

Kurama gasped at this revelation, his green eyes brimming with sympathy and understanding. He placed his hand over Hiei's own in a gesture of compassion. He received yet another shock as Hiei, who tended to immediately shy away from such intimate physical contact or any gesture of comfort, placed his other hand over the redhead's in turn.

"Hiei, I'm so sorry," Kurama murmured softly to the Koorime, squeezing his hand reassuringly.

"Don't be. It's not like you had anything to do with it," his expression turned odd, emotions Kurama couldn't pin down fleeted across his face.

"I am merely offering my condolences to your pain. I would not be the person I am today were it not for Shiori's love," Kurama explained, shrugging. Hiei only nodded and released his hand, sitting back as his expression turned contemplative.

"You never told me why the Brat Prince agreed to let _me_ out. You I understand, but why me?"

Kurama looked uncomfortable for several moments as he chose his next words carefully. "I may have told him I'd agree to take any punishment that you incurred along with you…"

"What?" He practically screeched, jumping to his feet.

"That's why I won't be allowing you to kill Yusuke, clearly…" Kurama hedged by way of attempted distraction.

"Why the hell would you do a stupid thing like that? What if I decided to kill anyway, parole be damned?" He growled, red eyes twin blazing infernos.

The fox spirit smiled serenely, effectively stunning the raging demon out of his mounting anger. "I have done this for you because you are my partner and more importantly my friend as I have said, even if the feeling is not reciprocated. You've taken me at face value, saw the real me, with what you've learned by fighting with me, against me, and the conversations we've had in our down time. You have come to know me more than anyone ever has. This is precious to me, and I will do what I must to protect it. If that means taking a risk and staking my life on your honor to show you I mean what I say and ensure your safety, than it is a small price to pay for what I may potentially gain. Besides, we work so well as a team, it'd be a shame to spoil it, wouldn't it? As for your returning to murder, I think you honor would not allow you to condemn an innocent man to be punished with you."

Hiei took several deep breaths in an effort to calm himself. "Why do you trust me so much?" Hiei asked, his voice laced with equal parts contempt and awe.

"We must rebuild our trust somewhere, so I thought I'd make the first push. You know my true name, the location of my school, and more importantly home, where my one weakness lives. You know how I fight and how I think. You have every tool you need to utterly destroy me. That fact that you have not so far gives me confidence that you _will_ not in the future." He said all this with heartfelt, steadfast conviction, unwavering as if he had peered into Hiei's very soul.

"You are a fool, you know?"

Kurama's smile grew until it wrinkled the skin at the edges of his eyes. "Yes, a certain fire apparition often tells me so."

"He's a sharp one, and I'm sure he'd agree that you trust too easily," Hiei replied with an answering smirk that was far closer to a smile than the usual ones he affected.

Kurama's smile, if possible grew wider. "We may barely know one another, but I have seen qualities in you, your best qualities that you tend to hide, that I value. Your honor and even occasional compassion chief among them."

"Hn, whatever, sentimental kitsune," Hiei grumbled under his breath, but Kurama could hear the faint traces of embarrassment in his voice.

"It was actually fairly easy to convince Koenma. It seems he's desperate for any help he can get. Coupled with the fact that, out of the three of us, you really did the least lasting harm as the humans you enslaved recovered in next to no time with no recollection of yours and their former exploits. You were merely the security disabler in the vault; Goki did the real damage in slaying the guards, and I stole the objects. He had every cause to grant you clemency, and I reminded him of that fact." He expounded, changing the subject to ease his companion's discomfort.

"More like you conned him into agreeing, you wily fox. _You_ are the one he needs to be concerned about, not me," Hiei muttered, eyebrows raised, though his tone suggested he was more impressed than reproachful.

Kurama's smile turning into a mischievous smirk was the only answer he received, but it was confirmation enough that he was correct.

"You never told me what our first mission will be. You said that His Royal High-chair-ness was desperate for aid. He must have something in the works for us."

Kurama nodded solemnly. "The Four Saint Beasts are making a bid to gain entry into Living World."

"Feh," Hiei scoffed. "That third-rate scum. Hardly worth the time it would take to nail them."

"Well, while that may be true, I fear the real trouble will come from getting close enough to…what was the word you used…? 'Nail' them?"

Hiei pressed his lips into a hard line at the jibe. Anyone else would have to be suicidal to mock him, but it was becoming a daily occurrence with this brazen fox. Suddenly his countenance changed. Kurama watched with interest as his expression turned to one of smug confidence.

"I seem to remember a little legend about a certain infamous youko thief…" Hiei began, and Kurama gulped audibly as his worst fear was confirmed."…This bandit led a spectacular failed robbery of the Saint Beasts' lair. Having lost all his men, he fled, defeated and empty handed, fluffy nine-tails (1) firmly between his legs."

Kurama's eye twitched in annoyance at the look of triumph on the fire demon's face. "Alright, you caught me. I must say, though, that the blame is not entirely mine. I had a rather hot-headed partner at the time that led me into trouble…that seems to be a bad habit of mine that I have yet to kick…"

He smirked as the triumphant expression was wiped off his friend's face, leaving a sneer in its wake. Kurama could throw thinly veiled insults around until hell froze over.

As suddenly as the smirk appeared it was gone to be replaced by a furrowed browed frown. Hiei looked curiously down at this odd change in expression, a question in his eyes. That was all the prompting Kurama needed to voice the question that had been gnawing at the back of his mind for five long months, its answer either validating or refuting the wisdom of bargaining for Hiei's freedom, the wisdom of risking his own on the treacherous demon before him.

"Why didn't you kill me?"

Hiei blinked a few times and shook his head in confusion, shrugging. "Earlier? When I had you pinned against the wall? I was slightly curious about your lack of resistance."

Kurama's frown deepened, and it was his turn to shake his head. "No. When I was impaled, if you'd only twisted, with a flick of your wrist, I would have died. Why didn't you?"

"You should know the answer to that, Fox."

Kurama's frown deepened into a scowl in answer. "Clearly, I don't."

"You truly are as foolish as I've always said you are if you really believe that your feelings aren't reciprocated."

For a moment Kurama's heart stopped. _Did he mean..?_

"You—"

"Look, I'm not saying you're my friend or anything, but I'd be an idiot to make an enemy of such a powerful ally. It'd take too much time to break in a new partner, anyway!" He snapped, mitigating his earlier earnest response with his customary surliness.

"Truce, partner?" Kurama asked, extending a hand towards the fire demon.

Without hesitation the youkai gripped the proffered hand. "Truce," he grunted lazily.

Though his voice had been waspish, his words had been sincere. Hiei had indeed vindicated himself in Kurama's eyes. He knew then that he had made the right decision. His gamble had paid off in the form of a jackpot. He and Hiei were sure to enjoy a stronger, tougher, and closer bond as partners…and, if Kurama got his way (which he always did), as friends.

_A/N _

_(1) So I seem to remember the anime showing that he only had four tails when Kurama was telling his story to Yusuke, but the anime also said at that point that he was only 300 years old. Kitsune gain one tail every hundred years of life, so Kurama would have four (being born with one) if he was indeed 300. However, it is later stated by Yomi that he and Kurama were partners 1000 years ago. This means that Kurama is probably well over 1000 as he was a mature adult when he knew Yomi. Therefore, he would have the maximum amount of tails a spirit fox could achieve: nine._


End file.
